Table 2.
Baseline characteristics of individuals with asthma
| Italy | Germany | Spain | Sweden | UK | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total number of included individuals with asthma | 22,102 | 53,866 | 39,555 | 365,324 | 574,913 |
| Mean age in years at study entry (SD) |
50.8 (19.1) |
51.0 (18.0) |
49.8 (20.7) |
27.6 (11.0) |
50.0 (20.6) |
| Male gender (%) | 42 | 40 | 36 | 45 | 54 |
| Individuals with mild asthma (treatment stepa 1–2) (%) | 37 | 60 | 27 | 48b | 65 |
| Individuals with moderate-to-severe asthma (treatment stepa 3–5) (%) | 63 | 40 | 73 | 50 | 35 |
BTS British Thoracic Society, GINA Global Initiative for Asthma, SD standard deviation
aTreatment steps were based on GINA 2018 for all countries, except the UK (BTS 2016)
bApproximately 2% of individuals could not be classified into a GINA therapy step in Sweden